Today, transnational criminal organizations operate with immense power and influence, though they are not a single, unified “narco empire”. Allegations of Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) involvement in drug trafficking related to the Iran-Contra affair were investigated by congressional committees and the agency’s own inspector general, finding that some officials looked the other way on Contra drug running. The Church Committee, which investigated intelligence agencies in the mid-1970s, did not investigate Iran-Contra, but it revealed past intelligence abuses and established a precedent for congressional oversight.
The current landscape of narco-empires
Powerful cartels today, particularly in Mexico and South America, operate with such scale and sophistication that the term “narco-empire” is sometimes used to describe their power, though they are not a unified entity. Their vast operations affect global and local politics, economies, and social structures.
- Mexican cartels: Organizations such as the Sinaloa Cartel and the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG) control huge swaths of territory and drug trafficking routes into the U.S.. Their survival is under constant threat from infighting and government crackdowns, but their influence remains significant. In February 2025, the U.S. designated several of these groups as foreign terrorist organizations.
- Decentralized networks: Unlike a classic, monolithic empire, modern cartels are characterized by a decentralized, franchise-like model, which makes them resilient against leadership decapitation.
- Government-level infiltration: Some analysts suggest that the immense political corruption caused by drug cartels is akin to a state within a state, where narco-interests have significant influence over government institutions.
Church Committee revelations on intelligence abuses
The Church Committee, formed in 1975, investigated illegal and improper activities by the CIA, FBI, and other U.S. intelligence agencies, well before the Iran-Contra scandal came to light. Its key findings exposed widespread intelligence abuses, but did not investigate drug running connected to Iran-Contra.
- Illegal spying: The committee uncovered covert operations like Project SHAMROCK and Project MINARET, which involved the warrantless surveillance of American citizens, including members of Congress.
- Assassination plots: The committee revealed CIA plots to assassinate foreign leaders, including Fidel Castro of Cuba and Patrice Lumumba of the Congo.
- Abuse of power: The Church Committee’s findings established a clear pattern of intelligence agencies operating with excessive secrecy and disregarding constitutional principles.
Drug allegations during Iran-Contra
The Church Committee did not investigate the Iran-Contra affair, as the scandal occurred a decade after the committee’s work concluded. However, allegations of CIA involvement in drug trafficking resurfaced during the Iran-Contra period.
- Arms-for-drugs shuttle: The 1986 Kerry Committee investigation found that individuals supporting the Contras were involved in drug trafficking and that the Contra supply network was used by drug organizations.
- 1996 investigative journalism: The San Jose Mercury News series “Dark Alliance” detailed how cocaine traffickers with ties to the Contras sold cut-rate cocaine in Los Angeles, contributing to the crack epidemic.
- CIA Inspector General’s report: While the CIA strongly denied the allegations, its own internal investigation conceded that agency officials were aware of Contra drug smuggling and, in some cases, failed to report or investigate it. The report noted that CIA officers were not required to report allegations of drug trafficking by non-employees.
- Independent counsel limitations: The Independent Counsel for Iran/Contra Matters, Lawrence Walsh, did not extensively investigate drug trafficking allegations. The broader scandal focused on illegal arms sales to Iran and diversion of funds to the Contras, which resulted in charges but few lasting convictions.
Sources:
Historic Congressional Committee Hearings and Reports
Portraits in Oversight: Frank Church and the Church Committee
Looking back at the Church Committee
Senate Select Committee to Study Governmental Operations with Respect to Intelligence Activities
Opinion: Recalling Key Lessons Of the Church Committee
CIA involvement in Contra cocaine trafficking
Did the CIA Actually Sell Crack in the 1980s? | The War On Drugs
Previous Investigations Concerning Allegations of Contra Drug Trafficking
About the sources
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